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P Valtonen

Publications and source records attributed to P Valtonen.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Enzyme replacement therapy in a mouse model of aspartylglycosaminuria.

Aspartylglycosaminuria (AGU), the most common lysosomal disorder of glycoprotein degradation, is caused by deficient activity of glycosylasparaginase (AGA). AGA-deficient mice share most of the clinical, biochemical and histopathologic characteristics of human AGU disease. In the current study, recombinant human AGA administered i.v. to adult AGU mice disappeared from the systemic circulation of the animals in two phases predominantly into non-neuronal tissues, which were rapidly cleared from storage compound aspartylglucosamine. Even a single AGA injection reduced the amount of aspartylglucosamine in the liver and spleen of AGU mice by 90% and 80%, respectively. Quantitative biochemical analyses along with histological and immunohistochemical studies demonstrated that the pathophysiologic characteristics of AGU were effectively corrected in non-neuronal tissues of AGU mice during 2 wk of AGA therapy. At the same time, AGA activity increased to 10% of that in normal brain tissue and the accumulation of aspartylglucosamine was reduced by 20% in total brain of the treated animals. Immunohistochemical studies suggested that the corrective enzyme was widely distributed within the brain tissue. These findings suggest that AGU may be correctable by enzyme therapy.-Dunder, U., Kaartinen, V., Valtonen, P., Väänänen, E., Kosma, V.-M., Heisterkamp, N., Groffen, J., Mononen, I. Enzyme replacement therapy in a mouse model of aspartylglycosaminuria.

Acetylglucosamine↗
PubMed1995

Effect of alpha 2-adrenergic drugs dexmedetomidine and atipamezole on extracellular amino acid levels in vivo.

alpha 2-Adrenoceptors are known to be involved in a variety of physiological functions and pathological conditions, including epilepsy and the extent of excitotoxin-induced cell death. In this study we evaluated whether selective alpha 2-adrenergic drugs can modulate the release of neurotransmitter amino acids. The effect of the alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist dexmedetomidine (5 micrograms/kg, s.c.) and the alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist atipamezole (0.1 mg/kg and 1 mg/kg, s.c.) on the release of extracellular glutamate, aspartate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) was studied with microdialysis in the hippocampus of freely moving rats under basal and K(+)-evoked conditions. Atipamezole (1 mg/kg) decreased K(+)-evoked glutamate efflux by 30% compared to the control group (P < 0.05) but did not affect significantly the effluxes of aspartate and GABA. Dexmedetomidine and the lower dose of atipamezole (0.1 mg/kg) did not significantly alter the evoked overflow of amino acids. The results suggest that alpha 2-adrenergic drugs have only modest effects on the K(+)-stimulated overflow of extracellular neurotransmitter amino acids in rat hippocampus.

Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor Agonists↗
PubMed1993

In vitro phosphorylation sites of stallion and bull P1-protamines for cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase and protein kinase C.

Fish and mammalian protamines are phosphorylated after their synthesis during sperm cell maturation. Cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) and protein kinase C (PKC), both requiring basic amino acids at their recognition sites, have previously been found to phosphorylate fish protamines in vitro. In this study, these enzymes were used to phosphorylate stallion and bull sperm P1-protamines in vitro. A species-specific difference was found, since PKA was able to phosphorylate both protamines while PKC phosphorylated only stallion protamine. Thr-41, the only threonine residue in stallion P1-protamine, and most probably the homologous Thr-43 in bull P1-protamine are the sites for PKA phosphorylation in addition to an internally located Ser-29 present only in stallion protamine. This Ser residue was phosphorylated in vitro by both kinases. Protamine phosphorylation by PKA was found to be almost independent of cAMP and was inhibited only by a tenfold concentration of PKI when compared to phosphorylation of a model peptide, kemptide. Addition of calcium, phosphatidylserine, and diolein caused a twofold stimulation in phosphorylation of stallion protamine by PKC, indicating that specific cofactors of PKC may have a role in mammalian protamine phosphorylation. We suggest that PKA is a good universal candidate for in vivo phosphorylation of P1-protamines.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Primary structures of two protamine 2 variants (St2a and St2b) from stallion spermatozoa.

Protamines were extracted from stallion sperm cell nuclei, alkylated with iodoacetamide and separated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Two main components, protamine 1 and protamine 2, were obtained. The latter contains two subspecies, separable by acetic acid-urea-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The primary structure of protamine 2a (St2a) was determined by analysis of fragments obtained from purified protamine 2 peak by thermolysin digestion. The digested peptides were separated by acetic acid-urea gel electrophoresis and, after electroblotting onto a polyvinylidene difluoride filter, their amino acid sequences were determined by pulse liquid peptide sequencing. The amino acid sequence of protamine 2b was predicted from the double sequence data of protamine 2 peak by eliminating the amino acid of St2a in each cycle. St2a and St2b were found to contain 62 and 58 amino acid residues, respectively, and they seem to be homologous with type 2 protamines from human and mouse spermatozoa.

Alkylation↗
PubMed1986

Amniotic fluid retinol concentrations in late pregnancy.

The concentrations of retinol (vitamin A) were measured in 36 samples of human amniotic fluid obtained near term. Mothers with normal pregnancy had higher amniotic fluid retinol levels than patients with diabetes or toxemia. The results indicate that some maternal complications during pregnancy affect the transport of retinol into amniotic fluid, possibly due to reductions in the uteroplacental blood flow.

Amniotic Fluid↗